Light assembly



April 9, 1963 o. H. KRITZ LIGHT ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. '7, 1961 INVENTOR. ORVILLE H. KRITZ ATTO R N EYS.

United States Patent 3,085,151 LIGHT ASSEMBLY Oirviii H. Kritz, 2343 Huntington Drive, San Marino, Calif.

Filed Aug. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 129,626 3 Claims. (Cl. 240-4631) This invention relates to driving lights for vehicles and is particularly directed to an improved construction having internal louvers. I I s p A special object of the present invention is to provide a lightassembly of high reliability having dependable and effective performance under all types of Weather conditions. 1

A further object of thepresent invention is to provide a light assembly which will produce a low, flat, widespread beam eliminating over-flow light and thus eliminating back glare, an important hazard in driving in snow, fog or rain.

It is particularly the purpose of this invention to provide a light assembly which increases the effective illumination of the road while minimizing objectionable glare, thus relieving certain of the causes of driver fatigue, and also to eliminatethe requirement for drastic reductions in speed during adverse weather conditions. The resultant of these objects is to increase safety, make driving easier and cut costs of operation.

Other'desirable objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following. specifications and accompanying drawings, in

which:

FIGURE 1 is'a front elevational view, partly in. section, of a light assembly embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is partial sectional side elevation taken substantially along line 2--2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional top view taken substantially along line 3-3ofFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary detail taken substantially along line of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawings, a housing, generally designated 10, which encloses the entire assembly, has a substantially hemispherical rear portion or dome 11 and a cylindrical front portion or ring 12. Ring 12 is of somewhat larger diameter than dome 11, but both may be formed integrally by flaring out to form an annular shoulder 13. In housing is mounted a sealed beam head lamp 14, of conventional design, which is supported in upright position on annular shoulder 13. Fastened to a portion of dome 11 is mounting bracket 15 with a mounting bolt 16 positioned therein. The head lamp 14 has two electrical terminals 17 and 18; terminal 17 being grounded by connecting a wire 19 to one of the fasteners 20 which secures bracket 15 to dome 11. The other terminal 18 has a wire 21 attached thereto which passes through aperture 22 in dome 11 to be connected to a source of electrical potential. Head lamp 14 also has a lug 23 on one side thereof which is positioned in one of recesses 24 to assure proper alignment of the lamp 14 in the housing 10.

A resilient packing ring 25 is inserted in the annular groove formed between the ring 12 and the lamp 14, to hold said lamp 14 securely yet absorb vibration and shock. As circular liner frame 26 is positioned inside ring 12 and has an inwardly projecting flange 27 at the rear thereof which contacts resilient packing ring 25. Mounted in liner frame 26 are a number of horizontally disposed, substantially parallel plates 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32. As best shown in FIG. 3, the rear edge of each of said plates has a curvature substantially the same as the curvature of the front lens 33 of lamp 14, but the edges of the said plates are spaced from and do not make contact with lens 33 at any point. This spacing between the lens Patented Apr. 9, 1963 ICC . 2 33 and plates 28-32 to prevent contact isimportant when the lens becomes hot, as undesirable effects due to the different rates of thermal expansion are obviated.

Each of said plates 28-32 has a tab 34 at each end, by which it is rigidly joined to liner frame 26 by a spot weld as at 35. The rear edge of each of said plates is provided with a continuous upstanding flange 36 which runs substantially the length of each plate. The purpose of said flanges is two-fold. They add rigidity to the plates and also perform a necessary light shielding function. The flanges 36 of plates 29 and 30 have upstanding projections 37 and 38, respectively, formed integral therewith, of substantially rectangular formation. Projections 37 and 38 are so positioned with respect to the lamp 14, to cut off the intensely concentrated portions of the light beam known as hot spots. This results in the production of a beam of'more uniform intensity. The projections 37 and 38, as well as flanges 36,'are shaped to, conform to the contour of the lens 33, but are spaced from the surface thereof.

Both ring 12 and liner frame 26 are flared outwardly at the front edges thereof to form an annular flange as at 39 and 40, respectively, and are engaged by retaining ring 41 which is provided with adjustable clamping means 42. A resilient ring 43 rests upon flange 40 and supports front lens 44. The retaining ring 41 has an in wardly projecting annular flange45 which engages lens 44 and rigidly secures saidlens in the assembly. Lines frame 26 is provided'with two recesses 46, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, and the housing ring 12 is also provided with a lug 47 to engage either one of said recesses 46 to lock the light shielding assembly in non-rotatable position in the housing. Two recesses 46 are provided so that the frame. 26 maybe inverted in the housing 10 in the event the mounting lug is desired to be on the top of the unit. Lamp 14 can also be inverted since two recesses 24 are provided.

The front lens 44 has a curvature substantially the same as lens 33 of lamp 14. The front edges of plates 28-32 have a curvature conforming to that of lens 44 but are spaced therefrom thus preventing the conduction of heat to the front lens. Plates 28 and 29 have downwardly extending flanges 48 running substantially the length thereof. Said flange-s are provided to cut off spurious over-flow of light in the upward direction which is the portion of light from the ordinary head lamp which causes back glare under adverse weather conditions and also which interferes with the vision of oncoming drivers.

The light-directing plates 28-32 may be canted downwardly toward the front to further direct the light beam to produce a low, wide, flat pattern. The surfaces of plates 28-32 are coated with a non-glare, non-corrosive, heat-resistant paint to prevent spurious light reflection in the upward direction.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the details herenabove set forth, for it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a headlight assembly, the combination of: a sealed beam electric lamp unit having a circular convex front lens, a second circular convex lens element positioned in spaced conforming relationship to said first lens, said second lens element having a curvature concentric to the curvature of said first lens, a housing supporting said lamp unit and said lens elements, a plurality of substantially parallel horizontally disposed plates positioned within the space provided between the front surface of said front lens and the rear surface of said second lens, means supporting said plates in said housing, each of said plates having a rear edge curved in spaced conforming relationship with said first lens surface, each of said rear edges being provided with a continuous upstanding rear flange substantially the full length thereof, at least one of said plates having a hot-spot eliminating projection extending upward from its said rear flange and extending substantially less than the full length of said flange, each of said plates also having -a front edge curved in spaced conforming relationship with the rear surface of said second lens at least one of said plates also having a downwardly extending flange provided on the front edge of said plate and extending substantially the length thereof, whereby light passing from the electric lamp unit is modified by the plates to form a low flat widespread beam.

2. In a headlight assembly, the combination of: a sealed beam electric lamp unit having a circular convex front lens, a second circular convex lens element positioned in spaced conforming relationship to said first lens, said second lens element having a curvature concentric to the curvature of said first lens, a housing supporting said lamp unit and said lens elements, a plurality of substantially parallel horizontally disposed plates positioned within the space provided between the front surface of said front lens and the rear surface of said second lens, means supporting said plates in said housing, each of said plates having a rear edge curved in spaced conforming relationship with said first lens surface, each of said rear edges being provided with a continuous upstanding rear flange substantially the full length thereof, two of said plates each having a hot-spot eliminating projection extending upward from its said rear flange and extending substantially less than the full length of said flange, each of said plates also having a front edge curved in spaced conforming relationship with the rear surface of said second lens, and the upper two plates also having a downwardly extending flange provided on the front edges of said plates and extending substantially the length thereof, whereby light passing from the electric lamp unit is modified by the plates to form a low flat widespread beam.

3. In a headlight assembly, the combination of: a sealed beam electric lamp unit having a circular convex front lens, a second circular convex lens element positioned in spaced conforming relationship to said first lens, said second lens element having a curvature concentric to the curvature of said first lens, a housing supporting said lamp unit and said lens elements, five substantially parallel horizontally disposed plates positioned within the space provided between the front surface of said front lens and the rear surface of said second lens, means supporting said plates in said housing, said supporting means and said plates having a nonglare' heat resistant coating, each of said plates having a rear edge curved in spaced conforming relationship with said front lens surface, each of said rear edges being provided with a continuous upstanding rear flange substantially the full length thereof, each of said plates also having a front edge curved in spaced conforming relationship with the rear surface of said second lens, the upper two plates each also having a downwardly extending flange provided on the front edge of each plate and extending substantially the full length thereof, the second and third plates each having a hotspot eliminating projection extending upward from its rear flange and extending substantially less than the full length of said flange, whereby light passing from the electric lamp unit is modified by the plates to form a low flat widespread beam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,712,351 Mara May 7, 1929 1,806,051 Fisher et a1 May 19 1931 2,202,278 White May 28, 1940 2,699,515 Williams Jan. 11, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 244,570 Great Britain Sept. 21, 1925 

1. IN A HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY, THE COMBINATION OF: A SEALED BEAM ELECTRIC LAMP UNIT HAVING A CIRCULAR CONVEX FRONT LENS, A SECOND CIRCULAR CONVEX LENS ELEMENT POSITIONED IN SPACED CONFORMING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID FIRST LENS, SAID SECOND LENS ELEMENT HAVING A CURVATURE CONCENTRIC TO THE CURVATURE OF SAID FIRST LENS, A HOUSING SUPPORTING SAID LAMP UNIT AND SAID LENS ELEMENTS, A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED PLATES POSITIONED WITHIN THE SPACE PROVIDED BETWEEN THE FRONT SURFACE OF SAID FRONT LENS AND THE REAR SURFACE OF SAID SECOND LENS, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID PLATES IN SAID HOUSING, EACH OF SAID PLATES HAVING A REAR EDGE CURVED IN SPACED CONFORMING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID FIRST LENS SURFACE, EACH OF SAID REAR EDGES BEING PROVIDED WITH A CONTINUOUS UPSTANDING REAR FLANGE SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL LENGTH THEREOF, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PLATES HAVING A HOT-SPOT ELIMINATING PROJECTION EXTENDING UPWARD FROM ITS SAID REAR FLANGE AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE FULL LENGTH OF SAID FLANGE, EACH 